After their victory at
Germantown the British marched into Philadelphia with blaring march music, to
occupy Winter quarter and destroy the German Press because the Declaration of
Independence was first printed in German before it was printed in English. They
were also looking for German business people because they supported Washington,
but they had disappeared. Had the business people been caught, they would have
been hung as spies. The Continental Army was not marching but walking in groups
of ten, fifty or hundred toward the far hills of Valley Forge, disappointed as
it seemed the Lord had forsaken them. At Valley Forge the Army of about 10,000 encamped for the winter. Washington
chooses this place partly for its defensibility and partly to protect Congress,
then in session at York, PA. Owing largely to the incompetence of the
quartermaster-general of the Commissary Department the men were left without
adequate shelter, food and clothing, and consequently suffered terrible
hardship, many dying of sickness, cold and starvation. At no time were more
than half their number fit for active service, thousands died and were buried
in unmarked graves at Valley Forge. When the Pennsylvania Germans of Valley
Forge and the surrounding area became aware of the plight of the army, they
established committees to go from house to house and ask for donations of warm
clothing, underwear, boots, blankets and food, whatever they could spare. The
response was so great it took hundreds of wagonloads to bring the collected
items to the camp. They also built a hospital at the camp staffed by
Pennsylvania doctors. Had it not been for the help of the Pennsylvania Germans
of Valley Forge and the surround areas, the army would have disintegrated before
the winter was over.

When von Steuben arrived at
Portsmouth he offered his services to Congress and George Washington. In the
middle of December he arrived at Valley Forge. His first act was to enforce
Prussian discipline and reorganize everything. He then contacted the Prussian
King, describing the existing conditions at Valley Forge. The King and Prussia
were the first to recognize the United States as an independent nation and
trade started at once. Baron von Steuben spent his last dollar tobuy uniforms for the soldiers. The
implements he needed to train the army came from the source. The United States,
in appreciation for his help, named a town in his honor "King of
Prussia" not far from Valley Forge.

The most outstanding officers at the camp were George
Washington, Patrick Henry and Peter Muehlenberg. Peter Muehlenberg raised the
8th German Regiment of Virginia. His father, also at the camp was Heinrich
Muehlenberg who founded the Lutheran Church of America. The bodyguards of Washington were Pennsy1vania
Germans. The villa9e of Va11ey Forge was very active. The Forge itself produced
iron and iron products and there were many tradesmen in this area.

When we honor General von
Steuben, we should remember the Pennsylvania Germans of Valley Forge and the
surrounding areas, without whose help there would be no United States.